full circle
by hi jump kick
Summary: A trainer reflects on her defeat of Plasma, and whether the prize is worth the price. Based on my experience in a white nuzlocke. T for mention of pokemon mating.


_full circle_

_/_

Healy is dead and Rocky is dead and Myos is dead and Quakes is dead and Zekrom is dead and you are all alone save for Tally.

Sure, you stand on a pedestal, both figurative and literal. Sure, you are hailed as the trainer who took down Plasma, but at what cost? The price of your friends' lives? The loss of a pure heart in N when he disappeared on Reshiram? The escape of Ghetsis and the Seven Sages after his defeat?

You idly toy with your last remaining pokeball, rolling it around in your fingers. Finally, you drop it on the stony ground. With a burst of white light, your krookodile appears. Tally quickly picks up on your emotional turmoil and leans against you, growling comfortingly. You run your fingers over her head, her skin scratchy like sandpaper. Tally glances at you with dark eyes, growling a question.

"I don't know what we're going to do now, Tally," you admit. Tally grunts and turns away, shuffling toward a nearby pile of rocks. She sniffs around, looking for something to eat among the rocks.

You look toward the mountains, but all you see is fog.

/

"Alder?" you say into the phone. "I'm going on a little soul-searching trip. Will you stand as champion in my place?"

Alder hesitates, and you know he is concerned for you. He decides not to comment on it, and instead merely agrees.

/

You travel around the region, Tally at your side. You visit Nuvema, where you were given Healy. You go to the mountains, where you met Rocky. You climb Dragonspiral Tower, where Myos tried to frighten you. You visit the moors, where you evolved Quakes. You gaze up at the former Plasma castle, where Zekrom first appeared to you.

And finally, you visit the cemetery, where you laid them all to rest, side by side.

You approach each grave in turn.

"Healy," you begin quietly, "you were a great pokemon, and you were the best serperior a girl like me could have. Good bye."

"Rocky," you continue, "I remember when I met you. You were just a timburr. I'm sorry you never got to evolve into a conkledurr. You would've liked that. I'll never forget you."

"Myos, I have always been proud of you. You were a hard worker, and you never let anything get you down. I respected that. Thank you for everything."

"Quakes. I'm sorry that I snapped at you that time when you forgot I was on your back and you dove underwater. You were a great pokemon, and no matter what anyone said about your warts, I still thought you were awesome. I'll remember you always."

"Zekrom," you say, and swallow the lump in your throat, "Zekrom, thanks for choosing me to be the hero and lending me your strength. It was thanks to you that the world is as it should be. You won't be forgotten."

You move away from the graves, and Tally trails behind, head drooping sadly. You leave the cemetery and stand motionless for a long time, gazing at the route where you took your first steps as a trainer with Cheren and Bianca.

And then, you realize what you must do.

"Tally," you say, turning toward the krookodile, "we have to start over."

/

Tally growls at something in the grass, and pounces. A feline creature with whiplike arms tumbles out, hissing angrily. The mienshao leaps into the air, preparing to land a kick to Tally's head.

You throw a quick ball.

The mienshao is drawn in, and the sphere shivers thrice before growing motionless. You pick up the ball and press the button. The mienshao looks up at you warily. You walk over to it, gently placing a hand on its silky head.

"I'm going to call you Mimi."

Mimi's ear twitches as you stroke her head, and her expression slowly changes from wary to relaxed.

/

You dismiss Alder and return to your pedestal. It somehow doesn't feel as confining before. Tally and Mimi spar nearby. Zuzu's serpentine body is contained in the pond. Pony flies around, green wings sending grains of sand sprinkling down.

For the first time since Ghetsis' defeat and N's disappearance, you smile.

/

Tally grunts at you, holding a speckled egg in her claws, unusually careful.

"She mated with a pokemon in the daycare. I don't know which one," the elderly lady says as you pay her.

You gently take the egg from the krookodile and hold it up. Through the opaque shell, you can see a small being floating around inside.

/

Tally's frantic cries bring you running, and you dart around the pile of rocks to see her curled protectively around the egg. She grunts and gestures impatiently to the egg.

It is hatching.

The egg shudders and cracks appear in the shell. You and Tally watch as a small, green pokemon with expressive amber eyes forces its way out of the shell.

The snivy sniffles, then begins to wail. You quickly pick it up, and it looks at you curiously.

"Healy," you say, and it feels like everything has come full circle.


End file.
